COMMUNITY POLICING AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING CRIME IN ZAMFARA STATE

 COMMUNITY POLICING AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING CRIME IN ZAMFARA STATE

ABSTRACT

This study sought to assess community policing and its effectiveness in reducing crime in Zamfara State. Specifically the study intended to identify the community policing strategies used by the Police force to reduce crime, assessing the Impact of Community Policing in reducing Crime, identifying challenges facing  Police Force in administering the Community Policing and evaluating the  effectiveness of community policing on crime reduction. A case study research design was employed in which Zamfara State was taken as a case study. A total of 50 respondents were selected. The study used interview and questionnaires as  data collecting tools. This study found that the main strategies used by police force to reduce crime  includes; foot patrol, collaboration and community meetings, door-to-door visits and  public education programs. Community policing has no impact on reducing crimes as employed strategies such as Door-to-Door Visits, foot patrol, Community meetings and public education programs have no effects in addressing the crime.  Lack of training for officers on community engagement philosophy and methods,  lack of good quality information about crime provided to communities, lack  involvement in the initiative's design, implementation, and monitoring and expanded  decision making by line officers, lack understanding co-operation, poorly planned  engagement leads to unrealistic community expectations, lack of organizational  commitment and culture change, community engagement, flexibility and tailoring at  neighborhood level are the main challenges that are faced by Police Force in  administering the Community Policing. Finally the researcher recommends community engagement to be part of core work.  Communities must participate in planning and choosing approaches as well as becoming equal owners of the process. Both the Police Force and communities need  to have clearly defined roles and be given the skills and resources to carry it out. Partnerships to involve two-way dialogue and good quality information and feedback;  the police must value community input there is a need to adequate resources allocation  by the government for training and capacity building.This study sought to assess community policing and its effectiveness in reducing crime in Zamfara State. Specifically the study intended to identify the community policing strategies used by the Police force to reduce crime, assessing the Impact of Community Policing in reducing Crime, identifying challenges facing  Police Force in administering the Community Policing and evaluating the  effectiveness of community policing on crime reduction. A case study research design was employed in which Zamfara State was taken as a case study. A total of 50 respondents were selected. The study used interview and questionnaires as  data collecting tools. This study found that the main strategies used by police force to reduce crime  includes; foot patrol, collaboration and community meetings, door-to-door visits and  public education programs. Community policing has no impact on reducing crimes as employed strategies such as Door-to-Door Visits, foot patrol, Community meetings and public education programs have no effects in addressing the crime.  Lack of training for officers on community engagement philosophy and methods,  lack of good quality information about crime provided to communities, lack  involvement in the initiative's design, implementation, and monitoring and expanded  decision making by line officers, lack understanding co-operation, poorly planned  engagement leads to unrealistic community expectations, lack of organizational  commitment and culture change, community engagement, flexibility and tailoring at  neighborhood level are the main challenges that are faced by Police Force in  administering the Community Policing. Finally the researcher recommends community engagement to be part of core work.  Communities must participate in planning and choosing approaches as well as becoming equal owners of the process. Both the Police Force and communities need  to have clearly defined roles and be given the skills and resources to carry it out. Partnerships to involve two-way dialogue and good quality information and feedback;  the police must value community input there is a need to adequate resources allocation  by the government for training and capacity building.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background Of The Study

Community policing aims to reduce crime and disorder, enhance the quality of life, and improve police-community relations through community engagement, problem-solving, and organizational transformation (Community Policing Consortium, 1994). It involves collaboration between the police and the public, emphasizing shared responsibility for public safety. By consulting communities, adapting operations to local conditions, mobilizing resources, and fostering problem-solving strategies, community policing promotes a proactive approach to law enforcement (Bayley, 1994; Goldstein, 1990). This philosophy has been widely adopted in developing countries, including Tanzania, where the police force has implemented strategies such as community police officers and neighborhood watch programs to enhance security (Southern Africa Extension Unit and Community Policing Section, 2006; Tibaigana, 2006).

The success of community policing depends on cooperation among multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, community groups, and individuals (P.G.O. No. 1 Para 9). Effective policing requires collaboration without compromising professional performance. Crime remains a significant barrier to development, as poorly planned development contributes to criminal activities, threatening security, democracy, governance, and human rights (UN Office of Drugs & Crime, 2005). The United Nations recognizes that addressing crime is essential for sustainable development, emphasizing the importance of community-centered security strategies to mitigate crime and social disorder.

Security encompasses both short-term and long-term strategies to protect citizens and maintain social order (Thom-Otuya, 2017). The state's primary responsibility is to ensure security through various agencies, including the police, military, and other law enforcement bodies (Nwaubani, Okechukwu, Anyikwa, & Dominic, 2014). Within a civil environment, the police play a crucial role in maintaining law and order, and their effectiveness depends on collaboration with the public. The Nigerian Constitution mandates the police to protect lives and property, highlighting the importance of a community-oriented approach to security (Nweke, 2011; Njoku, 2012). Without active public cooperation, law enforcement efforts may be limited, making community engagement essential for crime detection and prevention.

Community policing in Zamfara State emphasizes values such as integrity, professionalism, accountability, and partnership to improve service delivery (Zamfara State Police Force, 2017). These principles align with South Africa's core elements of community policing, which focus on service orientation, partnership, problem-solving, empowerment, and accountability (Republic of South Africa, 2013). The shift from a state-centered security approach to a community-driven model underscores the need for joint responsibility in crime prevention. This study assesses the effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime in Zamfara State, exploring its impact on public safety and the overall security framework (Njoku, 2012).

1.2       Statement of the problem

Community policing remains an important program as it emphasizes proactive problem solving to prevent and otherwise control crime (Sparrow, Moore and Kennedy 1990). The goals of community policing are to reduce crime and disorder, promote citizens‟ quality of life in communities, reduce fear of crime and improve police citizen relations. Despite the introduction of Community Policing in Zamfara State, crime and the cases of crime are fast becoming a serious problem to governments; as such there were debates on its effectiveness on crime reduction as there have been several cases of such throughout the nation as well as in Kaduna state in particular. The high rate of crime in Zamfara State are of great  concern, highlighted profiles on major crime trends and magnitudes experienced by residents include kidnapping, Banditry, Cattle rustling, assaults, violence against women, and youths etc. Coupled with this, there is no much studies documented on effectiveness of community policing on crime prevention in Zamfara State. Hence the purpose of this study is to assess community policing and its effectiveness in crime reduction in Zamfara State.

1.3       Objectives of the study

The main objective of the study was to assess community policing and its effectiveness in crime reduction in Zamfara State.

Specifically this study intended;

         i.            To identify the community policing strategies used by Police force to reduce crime 

       ii.            To assess the impact of Community Policing in reducing Crime 

     iii.            To identify challenges encountered by the Police Force in administering the  Community Policing 

1.4       Research questions

The specific questions included;

                                i.                   What community policing strategies are used by the Police force to reduce crime?

                              ii.                   What impact does community policing have in reducing Crime?

                            iii.                   What challenges are encountered by the police force in administering the  community policing?

 

 

1.5       Significance of the study

This study will contribute to understanding of challenges and effective strategies that can foster for the reduction of crime in the Zamfara State community. This is particular for the Police Force in Zamfara State which is fully responsible for crime reduction and elimination. The study is also of great importance to researchers in areas of community policing, crimes and crime prevention as it lays down the foundation by providing adequate literature and findings on the areas. 

The study findings are great value to policy makers in Zamfara State as they can help in guiding  formulation of policies and strategies to facilitate the crime reduction. Policy makers are always interested in quantifying program outcomes and thus such impact study will help future program design of police force in improving the provision of services to citizens.

The community is the major beneficiary of crime prevention initiatives. These findings  will contribute to keeping citizens well informed, involving them in ongoing planning and  implementation, soliciting their input and suggestions, and encouraging feedback in all  areas of implementation.   Finally the whole work is a dissertation that contributes to completion of a masters degree.  The study promotes the researcher to pegging of the new body of knowledge to the  existing one as well as enabling the researcher in partial fulfillment for the requirements  for award of master in public administration.

1.6       Scope and Delimitation of the study

The study process encountered several limitations. One major limitation centers on  participation of respondents. Policing issues are sensitive hence some community members were reluctant in provision of information by fearing that they may have been caught by police force. The second major limitation related to distribution and collection of questionnaires. This consumed a lot of time than planed due to reluctance by the respondents to fill them and return them. Thirdly financial limitations particularly for following up the respondents posed a significant snag. However due to the importance of the study and the commitment laid down by the researcher for achieving this result all available means were used to get data, analyze and report them in this dissertation.

Delimitation of the study

Community policing is a broad and multifaceted concept. The researcher therefore concentrated in particular on the effect of community policing on crime prevention in Zamfara State. It also examined the community role and initiative in community policing. The concept of crime prevention, it strategies, its challenges and its significance also formed  part of the scope of this study.

1.7       Definition of Key Terms

Crime prevention: Crime prevention is central to the concept and ultimate goal of community policing  (Skolnick and Bayley, 2018) and will have long term benefits (Segrave and Ratcliffe,  2014).

Community: It is refers to a physical concentration of individuals in one locality, and/or social organization among a concentration of individuals that possess a particular quality of relationships (Warbuton 2018). 

Community policing: The Community Policing Consortium defines community policing as “a collaborative  effort between the police and the community that identifies problems of crime and disorder and involves all elements of the community in the search for solutions to these  problems.”